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Apple Introduces New Pro Machines

Apple is holding its World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco this week. While the majority of CEO Tim Cook’s keynote presentation focused on developments on the company’s mobile platform, Apple announced two new products of note for the graphic arts professional.

The Cupertino-based company has added its high density Retina Display technology to its 15-inch Macbook Pro, which will retail at $2,229 and up. The 2,880 x 1,800 display doubles the previous Macbook Pro’s display density, bringing it to 220 pixels per inch. The processor has also been updated to Intel’s new Ivy Bridge architecture and the entire device has slimmed to just 0.71-inches thick, primarily achieved through the removal of the optical disk drive. The previously offered 17-inch Macbook Pro has been discontinued. Non-Retina Display Macbook Pros will also be refreshed to include faster processors, but will not have a slimmer profile.

The Mac Pro has also been updated, though not part of the WWDC activities. Apple’s professional-grade computer had not been updated since 2010. Gaining a processor upgrade only, the new Mac Pro has already been panned by critics for its lack of innovation. The latest ports present on Macbook, iMac, and Mac Mini devices, such as Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 ports, are not present and the video card offered dates back to 2009. A 3.2Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Mac Pro starts at $2,549 with the 12-Core version starting at $3,849.